USDA Announces Targeted Signup Period to Support Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry in Montana

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is holding a targeted signup to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry through voluntary conservation practices in 10 states, including Montana. This assistance, available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), will help agricultural producers plan and implement voluntary conservation practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change on working lands.

Signup in Montana opens on July 1, 2021, with an application deadline of July 15, 2021. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which administers EQIP, selected states based on demonstrated demand for additional support for climate-smart practices. This pilot approach will be expanded through a comprehensive effort across all states and programs to support farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in fiscal year 2022.

“Agricultural producers are the best stewards of our lands and waters, and they play a critical role in climate change mitigation,” said Tom Watson, NRCS State Conservationist in Montana. “We will use this national EQIP initiative to deliver support for implementing critical climate-smart conservation practices targeting our socially disadvantaged tribal producers.”

Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers and landowners with financial assistance and one-on-one technical support to plan and implement voluntary conservation practices. The outcomes are a benefit for producers and the environment, with producers conserving natural resources and delivering environmental benefits while building resiliency to strengthen their working land.

While NRCS offers a broad array of conservation practices, the agency identifies a sub-set as critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon and ultimately mitigating the impacts of climate change. These climate-smart conservation practices will be prioritized in this targeted EQIP signup period and support systems for:

• Building soil health.

• Improving nitrogen management.

• Improving livestock waste management systems.

• Enhancing grazing and pasture management.

• Improving agroforestry, forestry and upland wildlife habitat.

• Improving conservation management for rice production.

Producers can visit NRCS’s EQIP webpage for a list of the specific climate-smart conservation practices and are encouraged to contact the NRCS office at their local USDA Service Center for more information about priority conservation practices in Montana.

In addition to Montana, producers in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin can also apply for this current funding opportunity.

NRCS will rank applications for funding based on expected climate change mitigation benefits. Producers can contact the NRCS office at their local USDA Service Center to learn more about the selection process for awarding contracts. Priority conservation categories in Montana include soil health, nitrogen management, grazing and pasture, agroforestry, forestry, and upland wildlife habitat.

Additional information about this targeted EQIP signup is available at nrcs.usda.gov/eqip. Montana producers and landowners are encouraged to work with their local NRCS office to begin the application process and submit all application materials by July 15, 2021.